Liverpool still have a long way to travel but their dismantling of Arsenal leaves fewer questions than ever

Unlike in 2014, there are fewer question marks about the ability of their goalkeeper and none about their defence, which ended that season conceding 50 goals. There have been just eight so far, this time

In Anfield’s press box, heads were turning, eyes were widening and jaws were lowering. Apparently, downstairs in the press room, fingers were pointed in the direction of the television screens as whispered discussions became louder and quicker. The stadium was filling up slowly but those already in their seats were looking at their telephones and shaking with excitement. When Wolves extended their lead over Tottenham to 3-1 at Wembley, a steward came racing from the guts of the main stand to ask whether the news was real. Liverpool’s game was 45 minutes away but the drama of the evening had already begun.

If it is true, as Georginio Wijnaldum claimed after Liverpool defeated Newcastle on Boxing Day, that neither he or any of his teammates are conscious of the schedules facing the teams chasing them, it could not have been the case here. When confirmation of Tottenham’s defeat arrived through George Sephton’s announcement over the public-address system, Liverpool’s players were now in their warm-up. Though it did not appear to break their concentration, the thunderous noise that followed was inescapable. Anfield was already ecstatic.

A win here and Liverpool would be nine points ahead of Tottenham and 10 in front of Manchester City, a team that has a game in hand and one that faces Liverpool at the Etihad next. Suddenly, the conversations extended to the meaning of the possibilities, thus emphasising how important this game was for Liverpool rather than reducing it. A very best-case scenario after Thursday would send them into their next league fixture at Brighton in a fortnight’s time with a 13-point gap between themselves and City, but that would involve a Southampton victory tomorrow. The worst-case scenario for Liverpool would see that gap shrink to just one point.

It was not even kick-off and it is not even January but the sense of anticipation on Merseyside – the sense that something incredible might happen – is already a feature of daily thought at a club whose followers routinely search for clues as to what the future might hold by looking to signals from the past.

It felt like Arsenal were an appropriate opponent, not only because the last time Liverpool were involved in a title race and the race began with a 5-1 victory over Arsenal, but because the victory came in February and the victory for Liverpool still placed them six points behind the new leaders in Chelsea.

That reality reflects the unprecedented nature of Liverpool’s surge to the summit of the table this time. There is no element of this team that can leave the most interested viewer wheeling backwards, thinking about where it has gone wrong before.

It is significant that the message from Jurgen Klopp is a dogmatic one, relating to “the moments where we suffer setbacks” because prior to this game in the league, the last palpable setback was many months ago at Chelsea where Liverpool’s patience was eventually rewarded by a spectacular late equaliser.

Arsenal had since been the only team to peg them back after going behind and they were able to test Liverpool in one of those “moments” that Klopp warned about, having taken a lead that would last for less than three minutes before Liverpool roared back; scoring four at home in the first half since, ironically, Arsenal were sent packing, demoralised by a thrashing that set Liverpool up in 2014 when 11 victories in a row followed.

Can the conclusion be different this time? From here – like in 2014 – it is Liverpool’s to lose, though the distance they still have left to travel is enormous in terms of the number of games. Unlike in 2014, there are fewer question marks about the ability of their goalkeeper and none about their defence, which ended that season conceding 50 goals. There have been just eight so far, this time.

There are sights that symbolise the way this Liverpool is, sights like Sadio Mane chasing after Lucas Torreira like a bloodhound and feeding Roberto Firmino, who foot-stepped his way past a series of markers before giving Liverpool the lead. There are other sights, though, ones like Virgil van Dijk hunting down Sokratis Papastathopoulos in the tunnel at half-time like a policeman chasing a local bully, after the Greek had tried to intimidate Mohamed Salah, having ceded a penalty moments earlier. Liverpool were already 4-1 ahead and they had, after all, conceded. But not much escapes Van Dijk and not much gets past Liverpool.